


Lesson Learned

by Shatterpath



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 17:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20101291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: "We have a saying, my people. Don't kill if you can wound, don't wound if you can subdue, don't subdue if you can pacify, and don't raise your hand at all until you've first extended it."-Wonder Woman, Vol.3 #25





	Lesson Learned

**Author's Note:**

> For dansen week 2019, the prompt "ditto."
> 
> Dedicated to daskey for squeeing at me about a dansen mini. See? I told you I never know what the muses will go running with!

With real effort, I smooth down my jacket and put on my most serene and serious therapist face.

I'm going to need it.

The principal is a pedantic old fart, but I remain the picture of politeness even as my quarry sulks and kicks her feet to within millimeters of his desk. Mandy might look more like me, barring her stronger cheekbones and nose, but her personality has dovetailed right into her other mother.

When Pedantic lets up his droning for a moment, I turn and calmly ask Mandy, "why did the fight start, sweetie?"

For a moment, she is pure obstinacy, brows beetled and he whole body rigid and defensive. Taking a chance --I'm much better now at reading her body language-- I reach out to stroke a hand over her carefully braided hair. Nearly quick as a snake, she unwinds and rocks me back in my seat with a linebacker hug I instantly return. For long moments, she breathes heavily before finally finding words.

"He calls me mean things about how I look an' wouldn't stop pulling my braids."

The jolt of rage is like fight or flight, adrenaline making everything in the room feel overexposed. My calm become an icy control that even Pedantic cannot dismiss.

"I see. And the boy in question, what punishment will he receive?"

Just as I suspected, there is bumbling and huffing, "he didn't start it."

"Mister Taylor, my daughter has just informed us that the boy was first insulting and then assaulted her person, and before you dare to insinuate that hair-pulling is not exactly that, I suggest you think very closely about how these next few moments could go."

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. 

For the first time since meeting this useless fool, I see a spark of active intelligence in his eyes. Complacency is an ugly swamp of quicksand and he is mired deep. Wheels grind to life and he chooses his words carefully, feeling his head on the block.

"I see your point, Doctor Olsen. In light of this new information, perhaps it would be best that both children receive some one on one counseling about violence in the schoolyard."

Mandy sighs, very put upon, as I back down my inner rage a few notches. "Yes, I would think that would be acceptable. I think it would be in everyone's best interest if I took Mandy home for the day. She's in for several lectures, not just here at school."

I don't wait for a reply, but stand up with Mandy still wrapped around me and stride out. Honestly, she's too big for me to carry, but I'm still thrumming with adrenaline. 

We're all the way to the car before the sensation of being under fire starts to wane. Sensing my sketchy mood, Mandy is dead silent as I strap her into her booster seat and walk around to get in behind the wheel. A few deep breaths puts me in the here and now, some of the tension seeping out of my muscles and brain chemicals. 

In the rearview mirror, Mandy too, relaxes. 

Starting up the car, I carefully back up and get us underway. When I do finally break the quiet, my voice is even and warm for my daughter.

"Don't tell your maxie I said it, but that's my girl."

Her sweet giggle makes everything better.

When Mandy came to us, she was a traumatized four-year-old who had just lost her entire family to a fire I've always suspected had some sort of violence behind it. For the first few weeks, she was a ghost, gravitating to me for my more familiar looks and calmer energy. Alex is a great many wonderful things, but she is also very intense. That can take some getting used to.

She didn't want to call either of us by traditional parental monikers; she remembers too clearly the ones she lost. So together the three of us came up with something we all liked, close to our names, but not traditional. So I became Mimi and Alex the adorable Maxie. 

Honestly, Alex wouldn't have cared if Mandy called her Muddy, she was just so grateful to be included. Now? The two of them are inseparable, the best of friends and the most adorable of hellions.

I adore them both.

At home, it was like any other day, if not at home significantly earlier than usual. A change into comfier clothes, a snack, and since Mandy was pulled out of class before any homework could have been assigned, we do some spelling flashcards and settle in with a Muppet movie until Alex gets home.

The best part about the formal shift to family is that, barring any active threats or traffic nightmares, Alex is very careful to get her butt home before seven. Nearly right on the money, she steps in, face alight with the most delighted of smiles. School dramas well out of mind, Mandy squeals with joy and goes in for the usual flying tackle. One of these days she'll be big enough that Alex will be sorry she encourages it. 

"How are my girls! Kisses!"

Mandy squeals and carries on as Alex pins her face and blows noisy raspberries on her cheek. With our daughter wrapped around her, Alex comes to me next, her lips as sweet and tender as always.

"Glad you're home," I murmur and stroke her cheek gently. "So we had an exciting day today."

Mandy groans and clings closer, Alex instantly clueing in that exciting was not a good thing. "Oh?"

With some verbal prodding, Mandy 'fesses up to the whole ordeal, including a few details that is going to have me back in Pedantic's office and possibly the school board. Of course, in my seeing red for the second time in a day, I nearly miss myself getting implicated in the mess.

"They weren't gonna get Bradlee in trouble, but Mimi went all RARR! It was awesome!"

Alex's very serious Director Danvers face quells Mandy's glee and I feel like I have to defend myself, even if the attempt is a little weak. "I did not 'rarr' at Principal Taylor. I merely was adamant that the young man be implicated in his part of the scuffle, which was apparently not going to be the case."

"She totally rarred," Mandy stage-whispers and I just sigh. 

I'm not fully certain, but I think I see a moment of amusement in Alex's eye before she kneels down and sets Mandy on her feet. For a moment, the squirmy six-year-old can't meet her eye, but finally submits to the inevitable. That disappointed look is crushing and I'm not even the recipient.

"Did you try everything you could think of before hitting?"

"Yes! I tol' him to stop an' he wouldn't! An' no one would listen 'til Mimi got mad!"

Upset now, tears welling up, Mandy is the very picture of dejection and it takes real effort to not swoop in and hug all the misery away. But this is Alex's call and I won't interfere.

"Okay. I'm glad you tried words first. Good girl. Now come get a hug." 

The hug is a fierce one and it takes Alex a bit of effort to stand up, but we are all clinging together and we'll be all right.

"I was so mad," Mandy whispers and sniffles. "And I was scared too. He's bigger than me and he's mean to all the kids. Promise you'll tell the school grownups?"

"We promise," Alex whispers back and there's no missing the fierceness in her voice.

Dinner is a surprisingly normal affair, Mandy chattering on while we listen and ask questions or just generally add things in of our own. Luckily, Mandy is exhausted from a stressful day and is asleep in Alex's arms before even being carried to her room. Certainly better than the usual shenanigans, the wiggly thing!

Already dressed comfortably, we don't bother changing her clothes and press kisses to her warm skin to do our best to protect her from any harm, real or imagined.

We make it back to the kitchen before I am swept into strong arms, pressing me back into Alex's body, her lips on my neck. "So you rarred at the principal, huh?"

The giggle that bubbles up feels like maybe finally the last of the stressful day is leaving me. "I did not rarr! But I may have let a little of my inner soldier out."

Turning me around, Alex presses her forehead to mine, her smile soft and her eyes deep and dark and loving.

"Y'know, you're pretty damn amazing."

"Ditto."

And there are no more words needed between us.

**Author's Note:**

> daskey: oh my gosh dansen with a mini?!  
i saw that prompt and just thought of dansen's kid   
taking after kelly in most ways. compassionate, patient, a lovely kid  
but she has a hero streak because she's a danvers   
so kelly picks up baby dansen from school cause she couldn't let another kid be bullied  
and they're telling the story and it eventually gets to "so why did you have to go home, kiddo?" "... i may have punched the bully"  
and alex's first response is "haha yeah that's my girl" and kelly is not impressed  
shatterpath: lol! Alex is a brat  
daskey: alex winking over kelly's shoulder and giving baby dansen a little thumbs up and kelly just sighs  
shatterpath: funnier? Kelly saying to the mini,  
it's easy to forget Kelly's ex-military   
and Alex is the 'did you exhaust all other options' parent  
daskey: i love that! turn it on its head


End file.
